Is Rey a princess in hiding? What Adam Driver’s comments could mean for #TheLastJedi

When you’ve been part of a project as massive and as secretive as The Last Jedi (which arrives in Cineworld in just under one month’s time on 14th December), it must be incredibly hard to stop top-secret information from accidentally slipping out at the wrong moment.

This may have been exactly what happened to Kylo Ren actor Adam Driver recently when he spoke to GQ about "the hidden layers" of The Last Jedi where he might have given away a massive clue about Rey’s (Daisy Ridley) mysterious past.

In the interview, Driver said, "You have, also, the hidden identity of this princess who's hiding who she really is so she can survive and Kylo Ren and her hiding behind these artifices." As Driver implied, could Rey really be a princess in hiding? If so, what could this potential bombshell mean for The Last Jedi? Let’s take a closer look, but beware of some potential spoilers ahead.

1. Rey is Han and Leia's daughter

After the events of The Force Awakens, the online rumour mill went into overdrive speculating on the origins of Rey’s mysterious background. Where is she from and who (or what) left her on Jakku to spend her life as a scavenger?

One popular fan theory claims that she is the daughter of Star Wars veteran Obi-Wan Kenobi. This theory would have fitted in with the saga’s soap opera style dramatics whilst simultaneously connecting Kenobi to the newest iteration of the series. But if Rey is indeed a princess, then this theory seems to fall apart given Kenobi’s lack of royalty.

However, we do know of one Star Wars couple who do have a royal connection: Princess Leia (the legendary Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford). If Rey is revealed to be their estranged daughter, this could have a serious impact on many character relationships.

This theory isn’t so far-fetched after all considering how it echoes the previous Star Wars plot point in which Luke (Mark Hamill) and Leia were separated at birth to hide their existence from Darth Vader – we’ll get to what the sibling angle could mean for The Last Jedi shortly.

2. Luke is therefore Rey's uncle

One thing that is being hinted at in the trailers, however, is a schism forming between Rey and Luke during her Jedi training. We can’t say for sure exactly why this would be, but we think we can take a good guess.

In the trailer, we see shots of Rey demonstrating masses of power by cracking the ground she stands on before we hear Luke giving a foreboding warning about the extent of Rey’s raw power – after all, Luke’s father and Rey’s maybe-grandfather (Darth Vader), not to mention his former apprentice Kylo Ren, showed the same level of power and we all know how that panned out.

Likewise, if Rey does turn out to be Leia’s daughter, then that would make Luke her uncle. Throw in some mighty force powers alongside a wary family member and you get the formula for a classic Star Wars plot.

3. Kylo Ren is therefore her brother

One of the biggesttalking points in The Last Jedi is the relationship between Rey and Kylo. The trailers make a clear effort to tie these characters together (as does Driver in his interview), implying that their relationship will be a key focal point within the film. Will they join forces or will they switch allegiances?

We may find out on 14th December or we may have to wait until Episode 9, released in 2019. But, if they are siblings, this revelation would have enormous ramifications.
We’ve already discussed how this potential relationship mirrors Luke and Leia’s separation so Rey and Kylo being siblings wouldn’t be jumping the shark.

Moreover, this would make an interesting step forward in their relationship by adding a fresh twist on Luke and Leia’s story.
Luke and Leia were always on the same side even before they knew they were related, whereas Rey and Kylo’s relationship hasn’t been particularly amicable. Last time we saw them together they were literally trying to kill each other.

Not only would their familiar discovery make for a Jeremy Kyle must-see, but it would further complicate the overall theme of light vs dark; will Rey want to join her brother in reaching their full power or will she convince him to fight with her? Either way, it’ll make The Last Jedi much more exciting.

4. Her mother could be another character we've seen before...

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from Star Wars it’s that space is huge. With infinite possibilities of planets and civilisations, it’s not impossible to imagine that there’s more than one royal family out there.

If Rey is a princess, it stands to reason that she may be of some other royal inheritance. Although this would consequently disprove the above points, it could also further expand the Star Wars universe.

JJ Abrams may have indicated the as-yet-untitled Episode 9, due for release in 2019, will connect this new trilogy with both the original and prequel series so it may not be out of the question...

5. Rey isn't a princess after all

Though we’ve spent this blog speculating about Rey being a princess, it’s entirely possible that she simply isn’t one and Driver was speaking purely metaphorically.

Usually when a secret’s been leaked about The Last Jedi, Disney have been quick to respond. Remember tweets from Mark Hamill that were suspiciously removed after being posted, or the host of Instagram photos revealing merchandise that were taken down?

As far as we know Disney haven’t stepped in to sweep up Driver’s statement, which suggests that no bombshells were dropped after all. On the other hand, if Disney were to retcon his statement it would only lend more weight to the speculation.

Princess or not, we can’t wait to see Rey’s story continue when The Last Jedi lands in Cineworld on 14th December.

Andy Murray is a writer who blogs for Cineworld as part of our news team.